My Korean Grammar & Usage Note #2: -아/어 주세요 Can you please…?

01 When you ask the listener to give you something.

Noun + 주세요 Can I have N please? (Lit. Give me N, please)

커피 주세요.
keopi juseyo
Can I have coffee please? (Lit. Give me coffee, please.)

불고기 주세요.
bulgogi juseyo
Can I have Bulgogi please? (Lit. Give me Bulgogi, please.)

사과 주세요.
sagwa juseyo
Can I have some apples please? (Lit. Give me some apples, please.)

Noun + The native Korean numbers + 주세요

사과 하나 주세요.
sagwa hana juseyo
Can I have one apple please? (Lit. Give me one apple, please.)

오렌지 주세요.
orenji dul juseyo
Can I have two oranges please? (Lit. Give me two oranges, please.)

커피 주세요.
keopi set juseyo
Can I have three cups of coffee please? (Lit. Give me three cups of coffee, please.)

Noun + The native Korean numbers + Korean counting units + 주세요

사과 한 개 주세요.
sagwa han gae juseyo
Can I have one apple please? (Lit. Give me one apple, please.)

콜라 두 병 주세요.
kolla du byeong juseyo
Can I have two bottles of cola please? (Lit. Give me two bottles of cola, please.)

커피 세 잔 주세요.
keopi se jan juseyo.
Can I have three cups of coffee please? (Lit. Give me three cups of coffee, please.)

Noun 하고 Noun + 주세요

커피하고 녹차 주세요.
keopihago nokcha juseyo
Can I have coffee and green tea please? (Lit. Give me coffee and green tea, please.)

하고 우유 주세요.
ppanghago uyu juseyo
Can I have some bread and milk please? (Lit. Give me some bread and milk, please.)

Noun + 하고 + The native Korean numbers + Korean counting units + 주세요

냉면 둘하고 콜라 한 병 주세요.
naengmyeon dulhago kolla han byeong juseyo
Can I have two bowls of naengmyeon and a bottle of cola please? (Lit. Give me two bowls of naengmyeon and a bottle of cola, please.)

콜라 한 병하고 맥주 두 병 주세요.
kolla han byeonghago maekju du byeong juseyo
Can I have a bottle of Cola and two bottles of beer please? (Lit. Give me a bottle of cola and two bottles of beer, please.)

02 When you ask the listener to do something for you.

-아/어 주세요 Can you please…?

Verbs
하다 (to do) 해 주세요
오다 (to come) 와 주세요
사다 (to buy) 사 주세요
찾다 (to find/look for) 찾아 주세요
읽다 (to read) 읽어 주세요
쓰다 (to write) 써 주세요
듣다 (to listen) 들어 주세요
돕다 (to help) 도와 주세요
외우다 (to memorize) 외워 주세요
말하다 (to speak) 말해 주세요
가르치다 (to teach) 가르쳐 주세요
기다리다 (to wait) 기다려 주세요

천천히 말해 주세요.
cheoncheoni marae juseyo
Can you please speak slowly? (Lit. Speak slowly, please.)

길을 가르쳐 주세요.
gireul gareuchyeo juseyo
Can you please show me the way? (Lit. Teach me the direction, please.)

여기로 와 주세요.
yeogiro wa juseyo
Can you please come here? (Lit. Come here, please.)

도와 주세요.
dowa juseyo
Can you please help me? (Lit. Help me, please.)

03 Speak more politely in colloquial conversation.

좀 makes the expression sound softer and more polite. It can be used to replace an object marker 을/를 or to place before a verb or an adverb to emphasize it.

주세요.
mul jom juseyo
Can I have some water please? (Lit. Give me some water, please.)

김치 더 주세요.
gimchi jom deo juseyo
Can I have some more Kimchi please? (Lit. Please give me some more Kimchi.)

가르쳐 주세요.
gil jom gareuchyeo juseyo
Can you please show me the way? (Lit. Teach me the direction, please.)

천천히 말해 주세요.
jom cheoncheoni marae juseyo
Can you please speak slowly? (Lit. Speak slowly, please.)

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